Ear Margin Vasculitis (Ear Tip Necrosis)

What is it?

Vasculitis means inflammation of blood vessels. When it affects the ear flaps (pinnae), poor blood flow can damage the skin and cartilage at the ear edge. Triggers include immune reactions, drugs, infections, and cancer, though often no cause is found. A related condition, proliferative thrombovascular necrosis of the pinna, is caused by small blood clots in the ear vessels; its cause is unknown. Vasculitis can also affect the tail and footpads.

What signs should I watch for?

Look for purple or red spots, redness, scabs, and sores at the tip or edge of the ear flap. Dead skin may slough off, leaving notches. With thrombovascular necrosis, the skin around a sore at the ear tip becomes dark and thickened, and the damage spreads along the ear. Check the tail and paw pads too. Frostbite can look similar in cold, wet, or windy conditions.

How is it diagnosed and treated?

Your veterinarian will examine the ears and other affected areas and may recommend tests such as skin scrapings, culture, or a biopsy to find the cause. Treatment targets any underlying trigger, such as stopping a suspected drug, and uses medication to calm the immune reaction or improve blood flow. When medicine does not help, surgery to remove the diseased skin and cartilage may be needed.

Can it be prevented, and what's the outlook?

• Because the cause is often unknown, prevention is not usually possible.
• Many dogs improve with medication, though some need long-term treatment, and severe damage can leave a permanently notched or shortened ear.